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Dear readers,

Hey! Thanks again for the reviews! I always appreciate it! And I've decided to give into your demands. I wasn't going to have B and E rekindle their relationship so soon, but I suppose it doesn't hurt the general continuation of the plot. So fine! Enjoy! :p

Sincerely,

Rusty Myers

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~Chapter Nine~

Alice and the others returned the following day. I was disheartened to learn that they would be staying a few days longer than they'd originally planned for. Apparently they'd come across Victoria's scent somewhere near Voltera.

But I suppose it couldn't be helped. And besides, I still hadn't found another chance to perfect my power. And there was no way I'd be able to stop the Volturi without it. As much as I hated to admit it, at the moment, I needed Edward.

Jacob hadn't brought up the issue since out conversation outside Voltera. I could only hope he was keeping his thoughts at bay. Heaven only knows what Edward would do if he discovered my plan and suspicions involving the Volturi.

My opportunity came a few days after they returned from Voltera. I received an unusual message from the Volturi, requesting my presence as soon as possible. Oddly enough, the message wasn't from Aro or Caius, as they usually were. It came in a sealed envelope from Marcus.

I was extremely curious, since I rarely had any contact with Marcus except in a very general sense. I knew that for some reason, he was quite fond of me, but Marcus has always been a vampire of few words and I was no exception to that rule.

I found Jacob engrossed in a bag of potato chips and an epic battle of Halo with Emmett. Sometimes it scared me how well those two got along. If it wasn't for the fact that Emmett was obviously a centuries-old vampire and Jacob werewolf, I might've considered the fact that they were brothers.

"Jake, I've been summoned by Marcus," I announced, standing behind them so as not to interrupt their game. "I shouldn't be gone more than a day."

"What am I supposed to eat?" he whined, not looking up from the TV screen.

"I suppose I could pick something up on my way home tomorrow. Isn't there any of that lasagna left?"

"No."

"You ate that entire pan of lasagna?"

"Well, obviously no one else did, Bells."

"You're a pig sometimes, Jake."

"Give the man some slack," Emmett defended. "He's a growing werewolf."

"When did you become so sympathetic to the cause?"

"When I realized this guy is the only person who's ever been able to best my superior gaming skills. Edward hardly counts since he knows exactly what I'm going to do every time."

"Speaking of the bloodsucker," Jacob began, "where is he?"

"Out hunting," Emmett replied.

"By himself?"

"Alice is with him. He doesn't like to hunt with the guys when he's brooding."

Jacob snickered at some unspoken, manly joke. Despite the fact that the joke was about his brother, Emmett busted a gut to. I left them to their game and headed out the door, avoiding the rest of the Cullens in the dining room.

The evening air was fresh outside. I walked leisurely down the path, feeling no desire to hurry to Voltera. I moved into the trees just in case some unsuspecting traveler came along while the sun was still barely peeking over the horizon.

I walked a while in complete silence, my thoughts wandering in many directions at once. Maybe I should go pay Charlie a visit? What became of Renee? Why was my summon from Marcus? How would I be able to test my power again?

And then, quite suddenly, I got my answer. I strong gust of wind blew across my face and I caught the scent of Edward and Alice just east of me. Only the two of them, no other witnesses. Neither one of them had any idea I'd be out here. And the wind was blowing in my favor.

I moved quickly through the underbrush, hoping I was still close enough to Jacob that Alice wouldn't be able to sense my approach. When I was close enough to be safely out of range of detection but able to use my power, I stopped.

I leaned back against a tree, anticipating a lapse in energy after last time. Again I focused on my power, feeling it surround me. I focused until I felt a sense of control over it. Using that control, I focused on Edward, on his mind, on suppressing his power.

I was able to keep my concentration this time. I felt a complete emptiness inside me, like a whole part of me was missing, like I'd gone blank. I ignored the discomfort and continued to focus my power on Edward. I felt the trees between us, felt their years of inanimate silence. It was like I was moving, or my power was moving, from my body to his. The distance was longer than I'd thought and it took all my strength to concentrate. I narrowed my thoughts, thinking only of Edward and ignoring the forest around us. I felt a rush of emotion as his image brought our memories to the forefront of my mind. Just ignore them, I told myself. This is the only way.

Finally I felt his presence and his mind. I wrapped my power around him, feeling it cover him, suppress his power. I don't know how but I knew it had worked. Somehow I felt his power contained within my own, held firmly as long as I could keep it.

I held it as long as I could, but I was exhausted and finally had to let go. I slumped down against the tree and slid all the way to the ground. I closed my eyes and sat perfectly still, making sure not to breathe.

I'd never really been tired as a vampire. It was quite an odd experience. My brain seemed to turn off. I wasn't focused on anything. I just…was. It was strangely peaceful, not thinking, not moving, not breathing, not worrying, not being. I think I smiled a little, but I can't be sure because I wasn't really all there to tell.

Eventually my thoughts trickled back to me and I remembered my summons. Unwillingly I opened my eyes and started to rise to my feet. I started. The exhaustion seemed to have affected my senses and perception to.

"Are you alright?" Edward inquired, offering me his hand as I stood up.

"Yes."

"What were you doing?" he inquired.

"I was just resting," I lied quickly.

"Just resting?" he asked, skepticism clear in his voice.

"I do that a lot."

"Mhm…" he mused, narrowing his eyebrows.

"Look, I've got to be off. I received a summons from the Volturi and I-"

I started to walk off, but caught my foot on a stray tree root. (I was really going to have to rethink this whole thing is using this power left me completely helpless and human-like.) Luckily, or rather unluckily in this case, Edward caught me before I hit the ground.

"Even as a vampire you're incredibly clumsy."

I had to laugh in agreement or risk discovery. "Yes, well…"

He hadn't let go yet. His arms were around my shoulders, and with my sudden weakness I wasn't strong enough to break free. I looked up at him to see that he was staring down at me. His eyes were curious with a faint flicker of awe.

"You did that, didn't you?"

"What are you talking about?

"Bella…" he whispered, leaning his face closer to mine.

I struggled to pull away, but he wasn't having it.

"Edward! What are you-"

"That was amazing! Before, I didn't know for sure! But this time…! I saw them, Bella! Your thoughts! I saw inside your mind! And then it was gone! All of it! Even Alice's-"

"Wait WHAT?"

He stopped speaking suddenly. "What's wrong?"

"You saw my thoughts?" I shrieked.

"You didn't know that would happen?" he inquired, his face still leaning close to mine despite my loud voice.

"Of course I didn't know that would happen!"

All the while I was running through my thoughts, trying to discover what exactly I could've been thinking about. I was trying so hard to focus on Edward. All my thoughts were centered on him, memories, dreams, plans I'd had. Anything that I remembered or ever thought that involved Edward. He'd seen it all.

"Bella, what are you so afraid of?" he implored. "It's ok now, I know! I know what you went through! I understand!" His face was ecstatic; he looked like a little boy on Christmas morning. "Bella, I never thought, I never dreamed that you'd-"

"Stop it, Edward!" I shouted. "I don't know what you saw, or think you saw, but none of that is real! All those thoughts…they were from before! I had to think of you! It was the only way to test my power!"

His eyes were skeptical. Bella, it's alright-"

"Of course it's alright! Why wouldn't it be? Nothing's wrong! Nothing's changed! You'll go back to Canada and everything will be back to normal. There's nothing to-"

Before I could think to react, his lips were on mine. His arms were even tighter around me, one arm pressing against the small of my back, the other pulling my head closer to his. I struggled to find the proper reaction, but the one I found probably wasn't the right one.

I kissed him back, parting my lips slightly as he traced them with his tongue. My arms looped around his neck in an effort to bring myself even closer to him, if that was possible. He pushed and I stumbled back against the tree.

His hand that wasn't caressing my hip gripped my thick brown hair, keeping my lips firmly locked in place against his. Then he moved down along my jawbone, kissing me frantically the whole time, then down along my neck. I leaned my head back against the tree trunk and brought one hand up to pull him ever closer to me.

All too soon it was over. My senses finally starting to come back, we both looked up seconds before we were joined by another vampire. Recognizing the scent before he did, I flung Edward away from me and composed myself just in time.

The vampire smiled. "Good evening, Bella." He seemed a tiny, miniscule bit startled. "Edward."

I bowed gracefully. "Good evening, Marcus. I was just on my way to meet you."

"I can see that," he said with a mischievous grin that I didn't know existed.

"What can I do for you?"

"Firstly, you can tell me what's going on here."

I felt Edward tense at my side. Had I been human I would've flushed with embarrassment. Marcus was looking at me expectantly while my mind raced, searching for some believable answer. I knew he could already sense the intensity of our current emotions.